Two More Minutes Mummy

Over the last few days, I have realised that both my daughters and myself, and even my husband have started using the sentence ‘two more minutes’ as a delay tactic. The girls are very clever. They use it as a way to get me to give them a few more minutes of pleasure doing whatever it is they’re doing. Things like playing in the bath, watching tv, playing with their toys, or not tidying up.

The Children’s Version

Two more minutes mummy?

This has become my youngest daughter’s favourite way of delaying getting out of the bath. I end up taking her sister out first, and then letting her play for ‘two more minutes’, while I dry and dress my eldest.

Mummy’s Version

The way that I use it is a little more, desperate and begging.

Please, just give mummy TWO MORE MINUTES!

I just need to finish unpacking the groceries from the car, or dishing up dinner, maybe going to the loo, or even just lying in bed at 05.30am on a Sunday for two more minutes! Before of course, I lose my shit!

“Just give mommy two more minutes! Please?”

I also tend to use it when they are at their most demanding. By that I mean, when they get stuck. You know how an old record (LP) would get stuck and continuously repeat a second of a song. The girls do that sometimes. They get stuck.

Literally, this narrative is said in one long sentence , with barely a breath taken. It becomes impossible to get the juice made and to give it to them quick enough to stop the relentless barrage of demands. It’s like they’ve never had juice ever in their entire lives! The sheer volume, speed and repetitiveness makes me panic inside. As a person who suffers from anxiety, you can just imagine what this does to me! I feel like if I don’t give them the juice right NOW that they might actually expire before my very eyes!

Two more minutes later and I feel like I’ve just saved the world from a terrifying threat. I take a breath and think to myself … “WTF just happened?” lol